Presidential Communications Secretary Martin Andanar. ALBERT ALCAIN/Presidential Photo
Thousands gathered over the weekend at Quezon Memorial Circle to express support on the plan of the government to shift to federalism.
People from various parts of the country attended on Saturday the launching of 鈥淔ed-ibig,鈥� a movement supporting the shift to a federalist system of government.
Presidential Communication Operations Office Secretary Martin Andanar said in a chance interview that he had a conversation with President Rodrigo Duterte about his plan to change the form of government in the country.
According to Andanar, Duterte said that the shift to federalism would push through.
鈥淣agkaroon po kami ng isang conversation, at tinanong ko po siya kung anong plano sa federalism. Sabi niya po ay tuloy,鈥� Andanar said.
(We had a conversation and I asked him about his plan on federalism. He said that it will push through.)
鈥淐ontinuous po ang ating suporta sa federalism (Our support for federalism is continuous). So we would be here to support Fed-ibig and we would be here to support of course the constitutional committee,鈥� he said.
In a separate interview, Atty. Raul Lambino, Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) deputy secretary general for constitutional reform, urged the Congress to 鈥渋mmediately act鈥� on the planned shift to federalism.
鈥淒apat gumalaw kaagad ang Kongreso ng Pilipinas para maging maayos yung pagbabago ng sistema ng gobyerno,鈥� he said.
(The Congress must act immediately so that the shift of government would be done well.)
鈥淣akikita natin na yung ating mga kababayan, lalong lalo na yung nasa Mindanao, na hindi na sila makapag hintay doon sa matagal na nilang pinapangarap na kapayapaan, reporma, at pagbabago sa kanilang pamumuhay,鈥� he added.
(We see that our countrymen, especially in Mindanao, can鈥檛 wait any longer for the freedom, reform, and changes in their lives that they have been wishing for.) /je